This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-129413 filed on Apr. 26, 2001; the entire contents of this prior application being incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable-relay connector used in IT devices such as laptop computers and compact electronic devices such as home electric appliances, and particularly to a coaxial cable connector for connecting coaxial cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous coaxial cables are used for the internal wiring of IT devices such as laptop computers and compact electronic devices such as home electric appliances, and such coaxial cables are usually used by being electrically connected to the respective conductors of other cables, substrates or the like.
In order to electrically connect such coaxial cables to, for example, a conductor of another cables, conventionally, internal conductors of the respective coaxial cables were one by one soldered to the conductor of other corresponding cables. As a result, internal conductors of coaxial cables were electrically connected to the conductors of other cables.
Nevertheless, with this electrical connection method, connection errors during the soldering process would often occur, and there is a problem in that the electrical connection between the internal conductors of coaxial cables and the conductors of other cables could not be conducted with precision.
Moreover, since the soldering process is complicated, there is a problem in that much time is required for the connection process, and that the loss is great due to failures of the connection process.
In order to overcome such problems, conventionally, a coaxial cable connector has been proposed as a device for electrically connecting the internal conductors of coaxial cables and the conductors of other cables.
With this conventional coaxial cable connector, a connection terminal for electrically connecting to the internal conductors of coaxial cables is provided inside a shell, and such connection terminal is constituted by a pair of armatures formed by bending metal blade springs.
With this conventional coaxial cable connector, when the internal conductors of coaxial cables are engagably inserted into the opening of the shell, such internal conductors are engagably inserted between the pair of armatures, which are connection terminals, and retained by such pair of armatures by the resilience thereof. The internal conductors of coaxial cables and the connection terminals are electrically connected thereby.
Further, the coaxial cable connector connected to this internal conductor may be engagably connected to a separate relay connector. Upon electrically connecting beforehand a conductor of another cable to a contact portion of such separate relay connector and engagably connecting a coaxial cable to this separate relay connector, since the aforementioned connection terminal and the contact portion will become engaged, the internal conductor of the coaxial cable may thereby be electrically connected to the conductor of another cable.
According to this type of conventional coaxial cable connector, it is possible to prevent, as much as possible, connection errors since soldering operations are not required for the electrical connection of the internal conductor of the coaxial cable and the conductor of another cable, and it is thereby possible to conduct such electrical connection with precision. Moreover, since soldering operations are not required, the connection process is simplified, the operation time is shortened, and losses caused by failures of the connection process can be decreased as much as possible.
Meanwhile, with the conventional coaxial cable connector, the connection terminal thereof retains the internal conductor of the coaxial cable merely with its resilience in order to conduct the electrical connection of the internal conductor of the coaxial cable and the connection terminal. Thus, the retaining power for retaining the internal conductor is weak. As a result, when the coaxial cable electrically connected to the connection terminal is moved due to some kind of operation, there is a problem in that the internal conductor of the coaxial cable will separate from the connection terminal and the internal conductor of the coaxial cable and the connection terminal will no longer be in electrical connection, and the electrical connection between coaxial cables and other cables cannot be established thereby.
An object of the present invention is to provide a coaxial cable connector enabling a simplified connection process of coaxial cables while shortening the time required therefor, and which has small loss even upon the failure of the connection process, and which enables a further accurate connection of coaxial cables.
In order to achieve the foregoing object, the present invention provides a coaxial cable connector, comprising a connection terminal to be connected to an internal conductor of a coaxial cable; and a metal shell for supporting the connection terminal via an insulator, wherein the connection terminal is bent with respective bending forces of the shell and the insulator to make the connection terminal retain the internal conductor of the coaxial cable, so that electrical connection is established between the internal conductor of the coaxial cable and the connection terminal.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more fully apparent from the ensuing detailed description and appended drawings.